# Security trumps obesity in Britain’s first food strategy
Author:  Pal Sinha, Barnali 
Author URL: https://financedigest.com/author/pal-sinha-barnali
Published: 2022-06-13
Category: NEWS
Category URL: https://financedigest.com/category/news
Meta Title: Britain's National Food Strategy: Boosting Output for
Meta Description: Discover how Britain plans to increase domestic food output and support farmers through innovative solutions, without imposing new taxes on salt and sugar.
URL: https://financedigest.com/security-trumps-obesity-in-britains-first-food-strategyhtml

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LONDON (Reuters) -Britain set out its first national food strategy on Monday, focused on increasing domestic output of some produce to boost food security while rejecting a recommendation to tackle obesity with new taxes on salt and sugar in processed food.

The government said Russia’s invasion of Ukraine had hit food supplies and caused prices to spike, underlining the need to boost Britain’s home-grown supply of food.

The plan will broadly maintain the current level of food produced domestically, while boosting output in some sectors such as horticulture and seafood, it said.

[Farming will receive a total of 270 million](https://www.financedigest.com/amazon-grants-1-5-million-euros-to-dutch-seaweed-farm-project.html "Amazon grants 1.5 million euros to Dutch seaweed farm project") pounds ($333 million) of investment in innovation until 2029, it said.

Prime Minister Boris Johnson said the strategy would support farmers and help [protect food supplies against future](https://www.financedigest.com/5-ways-to-protect-your-wealth-for-future-generations.html "5 Ways to Protect Your Wealth for Future Generations") economic shocks.

Harnessing new technologies and innovation, we will grow and eat more of our own food – unlocking jobs across the country and growing the economy, which in turn will ultimately help to reduce [pressure on prices,”](https://www.financedigest.com/heavy-norwegian-gas-maintenance-adds-to-energy-price-pressure.html "Heavy Norwegian gas maintenance adds to energy price pressure") he said in a statement.

The strategy [follows an independent](https://www.financedigest.com/uks-sunak-followed-conflict-of-interest-rules-independent-advisor.html "UK’s Sunak followed conflict of interest rules -independent advisor") review by restaurateur Henry Dimbleby last year, which included a recommendation for a new tax on salt and sugar to incentivise manufacturers to reduce their use.

The measure was not included in the strategy. Britain currently taxes sugar in [soft drinks](https://www.financedigest.com/russias-ochakovo-ups-soft-drink-bottling-capacity-as-western-rivals-leave.html "Russia’s Ochakovo ups soft drink bottling capacity as Western rivals leave"), a move credited with reducing the use of the sweetener in drinks.

NO NEW TAXES

Johnson said the government did not want to impose new taxes which put up the [cost of food](https://www.financedigest.com/analysis-east-europeans-count-their-pennies-for-christmas-as-food-costs-soar.html "Analysis-East Europeans count their pennies for Christmas as food costs soar").

“The best way to lose weight believe me is to eat less,” he said.

Minette Batters, president of the National Farmers Union, said the [strategy recognised the importance of domestic production “at a time](https://www.financedigest.com/time-management-strategies-that-work.html "Time management strategies that work") when the war in Ukraine has focused attention on the importance and fragility of our global food security.

Environmental group Greenpeace UK, however, said the government ignored the recommendations of its own experts and failed to tackle greenhouse gas [emissions from meat and dairy sectors](https://www.financedigest.com/citi-pledges-to-cut-emissions-for-more-sectors-including-coal.html "Citi pledges to cut emissions for more sectors including coal") which accelerate climate change.

$1 = 0.8121 pounds)

(Reporting by Paul Sandle and Nigel Hunt; Editing by Jan Harve and Frank Jack Daniel)


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